THE UNDERWATER
VEGETABLE GARDEN OF SOUTHERN EUROPE |
Galicia (northwestern Spain) has 35% of the
total Spanish coastline. It is a region with an abundance
and wide diversity of marine species and has a deeply-rooted
seafaring tradition. Its location, between the 42nd and 44th
parallels, is, strangely enough, on the same latitude as
the coasts of Japan.
Galicia owes the exceptional wealth of its seas to:
- its geographical situation, in the shape
of a corner that juts into the sea
- the great ocean currents that converge
here
- the jagged, capricious nature of its coastline
Its annual capacity for producing life is
similar to that of the equatorial jungles, making it one
of the richest marine environments in the world.
As far as sea vegetables are concerned, this area has the best
resources in southern Europe, with luxuriant underwater
gardens and many different shapes and colours.
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WHO ARE WE?  |
The originality of the company: we are specialists in sea vegetables
Algamar is the first Spanish company to specialise exclusively in harvesting, drying and preparing marine sea vegetables for use as a food.
Experience and Official Recognition
The company was founded in 1996 by the Fernández Sáa brothers, Clemente and Fermín, with the aim of promoting and spreading the word about the marvellous nutritional properties of Galicia’s native marine algae.
The company is registered with the Official Control Authority (CRAE) as an Organic Producer.
In 2008 the Department of Nutrition and Food Technology of the University of Santiago de Compostela concluded and certified that Algamar’s sea vegetables “have the characteristics expected of a healthy foodstuff”. (see certificate)
In 2009, the Spanish Ministry of the Environment awarded the BIODIVERSITY 2009 PRIZE,to Algamar for its example of innovation and solidity in the management of and respect for natural resources.
In a first for the organic sector, in 2010 Algamar’s sea vegetables received the European ORGANIC CERTIFICATION under the new European Commission Regulation No. 710/2009 that came into force on 1 July 2010.
Working Zone – An Ecological Environment
Its headquarters are in the Bay of Vigo, 18 km from the city of Vigo and 30 km north of the Portuguese border. Most of the company’s algae are harvested on the southern coast of Galicia, in the area classified by the European Union as part of the Natura 2000 network, very close to the Atlantic Islands Natural Reserve.
Local, Renewable and Abundant Resources: Food Sovereignty
The seaweed or sea vegetables harvested by ALGAMAR in Galicia are wild vegetables. As the official publications of the Fisheries Authority state, seaweed is an abundant, native and natural resource that moreover renews itself every year in the sea and is therefore a stable and sustainable foodstuff. Sea vegetable harvesting is regulated and supervised by the Xunta de Galicia (the Regional Autonomous Government) by which ALGAMAR has been licensed on a yearly basis since it was established (published in the DOGA – the Official Bulletin of Galicia).
Creators of Stable Employment – Cultural Roots
Our company is located in a rural community –Pazos de Borbén– considered by the European Union to be “an area at risk of depopulation”. The work provided by ALGAMAR helps the local population stay in their place of origin, thus keeping alive their social and cultural wealth.
An Alternative to Conventional Fishing
Since its beginnings Algamar has cooperated with the local fishermen’s associations, offering an innovative alternative to conventional fishing.
Other Ecologically Coherent Practices
ALGAMAR publications: all our books, posters, catalogues and leaflets are printed on certified FSC ecological paper made with trees from responsibly managed forests.
ALGAMAR participates in the programme to plant 100 million trees in Spain as a response to climate change (Respons-arbolidad) www.masarboles.es.
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HARVESTING,
DRYING AND PREPARATION |
Algamar is
a pioneer in the harvesting, processing
and direct production of sea vegetables
and has the legal recognition of the Autonomous Regional
Government and its Department of Fishing, Shellfishing and
Aquiculture.
We use edible algae studied by specialised and internationally
accepted official bodies.
As harvesters of wild edible algae, the company has
a “Waters Exploitation Plan”, approved annually
by the public Fishing Authority and published in the Official
Bulletin of Galicia (DOGA). This plan guarantees
that the resources taken from the sea are renewable
and maintain the balance of the ecosystem.
The algae are collected
by hand on the rocks and usually in the water,
selecting and cutting the adult plants at their optimum
point of development, just before they wither.
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Following their selection and harvesting from the sea, the
fresh algae are checked, subjected to a second selection
process and then desiccated in drying chambers, at
a low temperature, for human consumption as a dehydrated
vegetable. In this way the air and the algae’s
own sea salt provide long-lasting, natural preservation.
Low temperature drying preserves the maximum nutritional
value. |
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The company’s modern, stainless
steel facilities, which it designed itself, can dry up
to 4 tons of
freshly-harvested algae a day. This makes some 400
kilos of dehydrated sea vegetables, ready to be packaged
in sheets or to be ground for use as an
ingredient in one of the products made with algae.
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STUDIES AND INFORMATIVE ACTIVITIES |
This is one of our fundamental activities, bearing in
mind the lack of knowledge among consumers
about sea vegetables.
When Algamar was founded, its work was without precedent
in Spain. The company carried out a study of
all the native species with the direct assessment
of experts in nutrition, both from Spain and other European
countries, as well as with the valuable support of the
universities.
Once this data had been collated and satisfactory analytical
and scientific results had been achieved, our
sea vegetables were ready to be presented to the public.
We began therefore on the task of placing Galician
Sea Vegetables and information about them in the public
eye,
to allow the consumer to make his or her own evaluation
of them.
Consumers of sea vegetables generally come from the mid-
to upper educational level of society, which demands
rigorous information and a specific first-hand dissemination.
Thus, Algamar also takes on
the task of SPREADING its knowledge.
This is the reason it publishes books and brochures and
organises workshops, courses, talks and tastings.
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Research
Since 1998 Algamar has cooperated with
the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas in
Spain (Department of Metabolism and Nutrition) and with
the Universities of Santiago de Compostela (Food
Sciences) and Complutense de Madrid (Pharmacy) in undertaking
various studies relating to the potential of native edible
algae.
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Exhibitions and Trade Fairs
At the invitation of the University of
Santiago de Compostela the company took part in
the “As Algas na nosa Vida” (Algae
in Our Life) Exhibition during Spring 2002 at the University
Museum of Compostela.
Since 1997Algamar has been present at all the most important
organic food fairs in Spain as the first exhibitors
of algae in the history of the Spanish organic food sector,
organising at the same time talks, workshops and tastings.
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Informative Workshops
Since 1999 and for the last 5 consecutive years Algamar
has organised the weeklong “Atlantic Algae
Conference” in Galicia, with scientific
presentations (about the biology of our algae, their habitat
and nutrition), practical classes on the sea and cooking,
and a daily menu made with sea vegetables. Participants
and speakers come from Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland
and Mexico and the conference is organised with the cooperation
of the University of La Coruña.
In August 2003 the 5th Conference was held on the Island
of Arosa in facilities belonging to the Gallegan Institute
of Aquiculture Training of the Autonomous Government of
Galicia.
- Books
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